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"I—I didn’t say anything," she blurted out, panicking. She shot up, grabbing the blanket and pulling it over her face in a desperate attempt to hide.
Christian smirked. Rolling her onto her back, he pulled the blanket down, and then pinned her wrists above her head, his body caging hers beneath him.
He hovered over her, voice husky. "Say it again."
"I don’t know what you’re talking about," Ivy stammered, quickly turning her head away.
Christian’s playful gaze darkened, turning almost sinful.
The next moment, his lips were on her neck, hot and demanding, trailing open-mouthed kisses down her skin. His kisses turned into hungry licks and sharp bites, igniting a fire in her. Then came his fingers, teasing, exploring, until he was deep inside her, moving with relentless, hard strokes.
That night, he didn’t stop until she whispered those words a hundred times, until her voice was nothing but a breathless, broken whisper.
***
Christian lay beside her, his head resting on her lap, arms wrapped around her waist. His face was buried in her stomach as he inhaled deeply.
Her phone suddenly buzzed with a message. She reached out to pick it up, but before she could, Christian’s grip tightened, keeping her from escaping.
Suppressing a smile at his actions, she unlocked her phone.
A text from Stella popped up: ‘Come over to Licious. We’re all here and missing you! Unexpectedly, everyone’s here.’
Attached was a picture of Ellie, Stella, and Ana, all smiling. Below, another message: ‘Kara’s on the way too!’
Ivy sighed. It had been too long since she last saw them.
She ran her fingers through Christian’s hair, stroking his head gently. "Christian, I need to go to Licious. Stella asked me to come over."
Christian lifted his head slightly, blinking at her. "I’ll take you later," he muttered before burying his face back into her stomach.
She pressed a hand against his forehead, pushing him back. "No. Everyone is already there. I need to go now."
Christian stared at her with pure devastation.
"Don’t leave," he mumbled. "I’ll take you tomorrow."
Ivy’s heart dropped.
How the hell does he do that?
But Ivy immediately hardened her heart. She always gave in to him too easily, just because of this very look.
She shook her head. “I’ll come back home soon. I promise.”
Christian’s face saddened further. He pulled away, casting her a sidelong glance as he got up.
As she slipped off the couch and stood to leave, he rushed toward her, wrapping his arms around her from behind and pressing a soft kiss to her cheek.
“I’ll be waiting,” he murmured. “Don’t stay too late?”
“I won’t,” Ivy whispered, smiling as she turned her head and kissed him on the lips.
Then, she walked out of the house.
Samuel drove her to Licious and dropped her off. As she walked up the stairs, the familiar aroma of freshly brewed coffee overwhelmed her senses. Pushing open the door, she heard the bell chime overhead.
She glanced around. The restaurant was unusually empty today. There weren’t any customers today, just a single table cluttered with coffee cups, where a small group of women sat chatting.